I come to novel writing by way of advertising, and I tend to view the task of marketing one’s books through an advertising lens. It took me a long time to get an agent for my newly published book, Mistress Suffragette (Penmore Press, 2017), so I was able to devote plenty of attention to thinking about my brand.

When I was in advertising, I learned that Madonna is a brand, and so is Coca Cola. So, let’s look at Coca-Cola: What does it stand for? For starters, it’s red—in other words, high energy. It’s also caffeinated. And, if you go back to the days of the “Have a Coke and a Smile” slogan, Coca-Cola also stands for happiness.

Red, caffeinated, happiness. Those words have become synonymous with Coke. Every time I watch a Coca-Cola commercial, I see the color red, and I watch as people jump up and down for joy while drinking it. That feeling defines the brand.

In the same way that having a clearly defined brand helps Coca-Cola connect its drink with the millions of people who love it, I believe that having a clearly defined brand will help people connect with you and your work. Here’s how to do it.

Choose 5 Adjectives

I like to reduce my brand—really, any brand—to five adjectives. I describe my author brand as humorous, smart, and feisty, with a heavy dollop of New York City thrown in. Historical rounds out my list to five adjectives since it’s the genre I write in.